New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-18

theory To Us IL seems tnaCthe only love worthy tho
name is that which-after passing sail soung loves
must through the romantic stage, melts BY degrees
into the constant tenderness and undemonstrative
though manifest affection which makes happy
marriage > the ideal state of existence. And
we GO further and assert tiat this con.
dition is not rare that tens OF thousands
OF men and women live the ideal married life;
that in the majority OF these instance, romantic
love has passed by imperceptlble gradations into
that higher development called c0njugal love: and
that this happens whenever To nperaments are
not hoDelessy opposed. incinations and habits are
not radically divergent. and there exists mutual
desire and resolve to fulfil the duties of life.
Romantic love as drawn by dr. Finck is full Of
egosm. aud youth undoubtedly is prone to selfish
ness. But the indulgence of egoisp is not
compatible with happiness in tho married state,
and it follows thar good husbands and wives must
rise ION stepping srones of their dead selves to
higher things" In fact they do so. They are ele-
waited and purified by the Of selfrestraint
and the surrender of personal desires and the love
which such discipline engepders is as far beyond ro-
mantle love in all qualities commanding respect
and admiration the steady efugence Of the cleo
trIc light is beyond the red glare of the pickering
bonfire.
No doubt love has broadened with the emancpa-
tion of women. SO long as they we're the sup
pressed sex" there could be no true romantic love,
while conjuga love was little more than apretence
docIe obedience on the one hand and more or les
indulgent domination on the other. 1t isonly with
the approach of something like equality. with the
concession to women of free choice, that the posi-
blliy of real love has arisen. And the world Is
still very far from ideal standard this regard.
1t takes many generations to outlIve the mischief
caused by ages Of repression and serfdom. The al
ayid of uanfc inf ioritv lara
the survivals of mans unjust social government.
The ancient Greeks made dummies OF their wives.
and because their homes were thus rendered dreary
and uninterestIng they sought reiefb by establishing
the fetairg, whose lawiess destinations neverthe-
less failed to suggest to them what might have
been made their own without breach of moral law.
Modern society, reaping still the harvest of mas
cnlne conservatism and blindness, seeks to offset
the dulness of the domestic hearth by the club;
often. 1t must be owned. quite much
because the men untitled by coarse
ness of taste for the society OF
refined and educated women as because women
are incapable Of sharing the interests of men.
In many cases, however, there exists little SYM
pathy, little common ground. between husband
and wife. and this is not indeed the fault of the
former but of the social system for which all men
are responsible. In this country the greatest pro-
gress in equallZng the condition Of the sexes has
been made and we have only to go back century
to perceive how considerable the advance really
has been. II is true that in America romantic love
has been develoDed never before. but it is equally
true that conjnga love has developed pari passs,
and that with Americans the tendency is to make
pleasant courtship the preface to harmonious mar
red life We say Americans because though Mr.
Finck prefers to assume that this country and Eng
land are on nearly the same plane regards love
nd m Inry fbara obi
tnction at least between the American aud Eng
lIsh views OF the conjugaI state. and that the
American view is the more enlightened one. In
England conservatism is more binding upon So
ciey than here. and one result of this is the sur
vivai (no doubt IN a modified form of the hus-
bands masterful headship theory, il may be
called. Equality is less recognized and to that ex-
tent the wife is less Free aud less freedom neces-
sanly implies repression. In seeking the foremost
examples of feminine development therefore, il is
proper to put the United States in the front rank
and it is here that the most striking illustrations of
the expansion both of romantic ana conjaga love
will be found
There some points in Mr.. Finck's book as
we have shown. with which it
is impossible TO agree. and one OF
these affects part of his general argument But
1t would DO unfair not 10 recognize cordially the
striking breadth of his discussion its wealth and
appositeness oflustration, the formidable strength
OF It's cumulative evidence. the wit and humor and
strong sense abundantiy exhibited throughout 1t,
and the shrewGness which characserizss many il
not most of the conclusions. 1t is not possible here
even to enumerate the divisions under which he
ciassiies his subjects. Having dealt exhaustively
with Romantic Love. he proceeds with au equally
detailed inquiry into Personal Beauty. Here he
treats incidentally of the right of civilization to
assert the superiority Of its tastes over those OF
savage aud half-civilized races. This is an in
genious and well constructed argument, aud 1t is
we think. conclusive. The Importance of hygiene
to beauty is also fully considered, and the whole
physique of the human subject is carefully exam
med from the aesthetic point of view Finally.
national types of beauty are put under the micro
scope American Beauty terminating the inquiry
In these difficult and delicate researches Mr.. Flnck
obviously bas endeavored TO hold the scales with
an even hand, and his mpartiality Is generally
noteworthy and audable. AS he says he has in
every case cited the ipsissima rerba of the most
famous specialists and the result Is an accumula-
ton of striking, beautiful. profound. amusing and
suggestive observations on topics of universal
interest, quite remarkable in itself. Nor is the
authors own work IN any respect unworthy of the
noble company of witnesses ne has called in sup
port of his positions.